This book provides a clear and helpful overview of the thought of Emmanuel Levinas, one of the most significant and interesting philosophers of the late twentieth century. Michael L. Morgan presents an overall interpretation of Levinas's central principle that human existence is fundamentally ethical and that its ethical character is grounded in our face-to-face relationships with other people. He explores the religious, cultural, and political implications of this insight for modern Western culture and how it relates to our conception of selfhood and what it is to be a person, our understanding of the ground of moral values, our experience of time and the meaning of history, and our experience of religious concepts and discourse. The book includes an annotated list of recommended readings and a selected bibliography of books by and about Levinas. It will be an excellent introduction to Levinas for readers unfamiliar with his work, and even for those without a background in philosophy.
Author: Michael L. Morgan Publisher: Cambridge University Press Published: 03/21/2011 Pages: 270 Binding Type: Hardcover Weight: 1.10lbs Size: 9.10h x 6.10w x 0.80d ISBN: 9780521193023
Review Citation(s): Choice 10/01/2011
About the Author Morgan, Michael L.: - Michael L. Morgan is Chancellor's Professor of Philosophy and Jewish Studies, Emeritus, at Indiana University, Bloomington. He is the author of numerous books, most recently Discovering Levinas (Cambridge University Press, 2007) and Beyond Auschwitz (2002), which was a finalist in the category of Jewish Thought for the Koret Book Award. He has also edited several collections of essays and editions of Spinoza's writings and his articles have appeared in journals including the Review of Metaphysics, the Journal of Religion and the Journal of Jewish Thought and Philosophy.